


Just Me, Her, and the Moon

by uhmyeah



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Camping, Fluff, Kissing, Lots of loving the moon, M/M, Moonlight, Skinny Dipping, Sleepy Cuddles, Sunsets, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 05:41:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18004907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uhmyeah/pseuds/uhmyeah
Summary: Ashton and Calum have had enough of the garbage weather and atmosphere of LA, so they book off to the middle of nowhere for the weekend.





	Just Me, Her, and the Moon

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't help the title, it literally screamed at me as soon as I wrote the word moon for the first time. Also, this kind of stemmed from that video of calum calling the moon "she"? Anyways, enjoy :)

Things had been chaotic recently. The album was getting finished, which meant that the studio had Luke in for final vocal touch ups, and Calum for a retake of a bass line, and all of them going in and out of the studio so much that Ashton thought that he and Calum might as well just move in. On top of that, tour planning was also being finalized, which meant meeting after meeting and reschedule after reschedule. _And,_ to put the icing on the cake, it had been raining for a week, which meant that LA citizens suddenly forget how to drive, and the traffic on the interstates are worse, and its _raining_. Needless to say, a vacation was needed. So, one day when Ashton and Calum actually had more than two seconds together, Ashton suggested that they rent an RV and book it to some place with a lake in the middle of nowhere, where no one could find them, out of the rain, just the two of them. Calum nearly cried in relief as he agreed.

That’s where they are now, driving down the interstate to get to their nature hideaway. They’ve been on the road for a couple of hours, somehow blessedly missing the traffic, and they’re almost to their destination. It’s more inland, so they don’t have access to the actual beach, but Ashton read online that there was a lake that had sand, and that will do just fine, he thinks. He makes a right into some secluded camp ground and parks as far away from other human life as he can, which is easy because it’s a Monday and there are, like, three other people there anyways. He parks the RV under some trees, right by a fire pit…thing, and a grill. They both leave the vehicle and stand outside against one side beside each other. Ashton sneaks his hand down to hold Calum’s, which makes Calum instinctively pull away because _they’re in public_ , but the smile on Ashton’s face wipes away any form of anti-PDA-publicity-knowledge Calum has, so he holds his hand too.

“This is so nice,” Ashton says, breathing in deeply, “finally, somewhere without rain, without a billion people, without the smell of work and gas. Just us, and nature.”

“…and a couple other people a little bit away. But yeah. Just us, and nature, and no _fucking_ rain,” Calum agrees, breathing in the air of the forest they’re in wistfully, plonking his head down onto Ashton’s shoulder, “thank you. For coming up with this. And for thinking about me when you thought of it.”

“Dude, when am I not thinking of you?” Ashton asks with a laugh in his voice.

“I dunno. But you didn’t invite the other two, which means you thought of _specifically_ me, which is nice.”

“Calum, we’ve been dating for, since we were, like, 4, of course I’m thinking of you.”

Calum groans and pokes Ashton’s cheek.

“Stop being annoying, all I’m trying to do is thank you for hiding us away from the world. Just us.”

Ashton laughs brightly for a second.

“I know. Wanna head back in? The sun is starting to set and we still need to cook. There’s food in the fridge we can grill up,” Ashton says.

“Yeah, I’ll be in in a sec, go on in,” Calum replies.

“’Kay. I’ll get the hot dogs out?”

“You brought, like, proper camp food? No kale bullshit?” Calum asks incredulously.

“No kale bullshit. Not even a green smoothie,” Ashton jokes.

Calum puts a hand on his forehead and gasps theatrically.

“911, I think my boyfriend might be having brain issues, send help,”

“I hate you. I’m gonna go get them out, yeah? When you come back in you can sort the wine situation,”

“Ash, you brought wine too? Fuck, this is gonna _rock_ ,”

“That’s the point. There’s also liquor for when we get over being all proper with wine,” Ashton replies, walking to the other side to get back into the RV. Calum stays outside just a minute longer, feeling a little chilly in the cooling air. He walks back in and into the back, flopping down onto the giant bed that reaches both walls on the right and left. Ashton must have made it while Calum was still outside, because now there are about 30 pillows and a bunch of blankets on it, and fairy lights on the walls. There’s a sunroof on the ceiling and it’s _perfect_ , Calum thinks. Perfect for the two of them.

“Hey, I’m gonna go start on the hot dogs, yeah? You good with wine duty?” Ashton asks.

“I’m great with that. Are we eating in here or out there?”

“I was thinking out there. Don’t wanna crumb up the bed this early,” Ashton laughs.

“True. Okay, I’ll meet you out there with our wine,” Calum says, standing up.

Ashton leaves with a pack of hot dogs and their buns. He spends about ten minutes too long trying to cut on the grill, Calum watches from inside and laughs, so he walks out and pops the flame on his lighter so the charcoal will catch.

“See? You complain about me smoking but we would be going hungry without me right now,” Calum jokes.

“Yeah, yeah. Go get the wine, lover,” Ashton says fondly.

Calum scurries back inside and grabs two glasses, the bottle, and slips on Ashton’s hoodie last minute just in case. He comes out and puts the bottle and glasses on a tree stump and sits down beside it. Ashton looks over at him and smiles, turning back to focus on not burning the meat.

“You look cute,” he supplies, turning one of the hot dogs.

“Thanks. You look pretty cute yourself,” Calum says back.

“I’m cooking hot dogs with an apron that is the torso of some ripped guy, I don’t see how that’s cute in any way, but thanks, I guess,” Ashton says, laughing.

Calum snickers.

“You look cute cause it’s you. Anyways, almost done?”

“Yeah. Yeah, c’mere, tell me if they’re done enough for you,” Ashton says. Calum gets up and walks to Ashton, mindlessly wrapping a hoodie-covered arm around his waist from behind.

“Mmhm. Looks fine. Want me to pour?”

“Yeah, but figure out how to without taking your arm off me, it’s warm and I’m cold.”

Calum smiles, squeezing his waist softly and moving away.

“I’m not Elastagirl, sorry. But I will pour a little extra in your cup.”

Ashton smiles as he plates the hot dogs in their buns and brings the plates over to Calum. He hands Calum his plate and sits down beside him.

“Bon appetit,” he says in a terrible French accent.

“How glamorous. Thank you. Here’s your wine,” Calum says.

They eat in silence for a while. Sometimes their hands brush as they reach for their glasses, but other than that, they’re just enjoying being in the company of the other. It isn’t until Ashton is taking a sip of wine and Calum looks over that he breaks the silence with a laugh.

“We’re literally eating $3 hot dogs and drinking $30 wine,” Calum says between laughs.

Ashton starts laughing too, leaning his head back.

“What a fuckin’ rock star life, eh?”

“Living the dream,” Calum replies, crossing his feet.

They finish their food and cuddle in a bit closer, talking quietly, almost in a whisper, about nothing at all. They’re tired when they head back into the camper, having been fed well and sated just a little from the wine.

Its slow as the strip for bed. The air has changed a little, changed into a more romantic atmosphere as the stars came out. Calum is first into their bed when the clock reaches about midnight, and Ashton is closely following, just putting the cork in the wine bottle before slipping in beside him.

Calum is laying on his back with an arm behind his head and one across his own stomach, gazing through the sky window when Ashton joins him. The fairy lights offer the only light in the room, lighting up their little area and that’s it. Any other light is from the moon. It’s so soft and light feeling that Calum forgot what it felt like to not be calm, and Ashton felt the same way; both boys consumed in the pale moonlight and adoration that is held between them.

The next morning, the sun is shining bright in through the curtain-shielded windows. Calum is the first to wake, getting up gently as to not wake his boyfriend, and making himself a cup of coffee to enjoy outside while having a smoke. When the coffee is done, he pours himself a mug and slips on a hoodie and quietly heads outside to sit on the stairs leading to the van. He takes a sip and puts it beside him before pulling out a cigarette, lighting it, and bringing it to his mouth. He takes a long drag, keeping it in his mouth for a moment before blowing it out towards the sky. He takes another couple drags and sips of his coffee before setting it down again and finishing off his cigarette. He’s just about to lean back against the door when Ashton opens it up, startling him out of his mindless concentration on the birds chirping and the warm sun.

“Morning,” Ashton says, “budge over. Lemme sit with you,” he finishes, kicking his sock-clad foot against Calum’s sweatpants-covered thigh. Calum moves over a bit and takes his coffee, resting it between his legs. Ashton sits beside him, cuddling into his side and resting his head on Calum’s shoulder.

“Can I have a sip?”

“I made enough for you to make a cup too-“

“Yeah, but, that’s inside, I’m outside. You’re here and you loooove me. Please?”

“Fine,” Calum says in false frustration, giving Ashton his cup.

“Thank you, baby,” Ashton says as he takes a sip.

Calum hums in response. He’ll take whatever he can like this. Usually, it’s Calum cuddling up against Ashton, so this is a nice and welcomed event.

They don’t talk much. A couple this and that statements about the birds, or weather, or whatever. It’s a nice change of scenery, both physically and emotionally. They’ve both been so stressed recently, so being out in the middle of nowhere is a nice surprise.

They go back inside and discuss what they should do that day as they finish off the pot of coffee. They stay in their sweatpants and hoodies until almost noon, and even then they only change to shower. It isn’t together, despite what Ashton suggested. Calum decided he wanted to take his alone, as to “actually shower and not end up on my knees”. Ashton laughed in agreement.

They try to make baked potatoes over the campfire, but it’s a lot harder than it looks, so they just make hot dogs again. Tonight, the air is warmer and there are fireflies glowing around them as the moon comes out. The fire keeps them warmer than it did the night before, and the food gets eaten quicker. They decide to walk down to the lake and spend a couple hours there, so they toss their plates in the trash and Ashton makes the executive decision to bring the bottles of wine and blankets down to the shore.

When they get there, it’s a pleasant surprise to see no one else there, and even better to see a couple logs arranged around a fire pit to sit on. They choose a log to rest on, although after a while, they get off of it because wood is, despite what movies show, very uncomfortable. They just slide off of it and into the sand, resting the bottles of red on the log behind them and wrapping the blanket around their shoulders. They lit the fire almost as soon as they got there, and it has grown pretty tall in height. Their legs are tangled with those of the other, and Ashton brought the guitar from the RV, so he’s playing some dumb camping song that he must’ve remembered from when Lauren was in girl scouts or something. It’s really nice, Calum thinks, despite the stupid songs. The crash of the water and the smell of the fire mixed with Ashton and a little bit of his cigarettes is as perfect as perfect gets, he thinks. He watches Ashton’s fingers pluck a new melody, a softer, more romantic one, from where his head rests on his shoulder. Calum gently kisses at Ashton’s neck, not meaning to start anything, just leaving a fraction of the love he feels behind.

The night passes by slowly, both boys consumed in the other. The moonlight shines delicately on the gentle waves and on the faces of the two lovers. The guitar lays forgotten beside Ashton, has laid there for a while, and Calum migrated his legs to lay them across Ashton’s lap.

After a few moments, Ashton cuts on a playlist from his phone and tugs Calum up with him in a standing position.

“Dance with me,” he says, beginning to sway Calum to the melody.

Calum’s cheeks flush as he wraps himself closer to Ashton, swaying with him, listening to him quietly sing along to the songs. The fireflies are closer to the fire now, but still close enough to them where it makes the scene that much more romantic. “Dancing in the Moonlight” begins to play, and they both let out a little laugh. How Ashton, Calum thinks.

“We get it _allll_ most every night,” Ashton begins, putting on a dumb accent.

“You’re dumb,” Calum replies, still swaying with Ashton, leaving a small kiss on the nape of his neck.

The chorus begins and Ashton steps back to twirl Calum, Calum rolling his eyes even though it makes butterflies erupt in his stomach. When he twirls back to Ashton, their hands are linked, and Ashton leans in and kisses Calum for a couple seconds. No matter how ridiculous this situation may look, it’s so wonderful and strangely romantic. Very them.

They continue swaying for a couple more songs until Ashton pipes up.

“I have an idea,” Ashton says.

“Uh oh,” Calum replies, head popping up from Ashton’s shoulder.

“We should skinny dip,” Ashton excitedly explains, turning to Calum with a big smile.

“It’ll be so cold though,”

“No colder than the lake you and Mike skinny dipped in,”

“It was 80 degrees then,”

“It’s like 75 now, c’mon, I’ll go too! We can be one with nature! We can have our moment,” Ashton begs happily,

“Our moment,” Calum repeats deadpan. After a second, “fine. For you. You get in first, though,”

Ashton grins, pecking Calum quickly on the lips before pulling his body away and shucking off his hoodie.

“C’mon! The point of skinny dipping is to be naked, that’s hard to do if you won’t undress,” Ashton says.

Calum makes a point of being inconvenienced, faux frustration dripping in his sigh.

“One with nature my ass,” he grumbles as he shucks off his hoodie too.

By this point, Ashton is wrapped in a blanket, completely bare, waiting for Calum.

“Fuck, it’s cold Ash, lemme under,” Calum says once fully naked.

“Nope, water’ll be warmer, c’mon you,” Ashton says, reaching out for Calum’s hand and tugging him along to the water.

Calum takes a brief moment to look at Ashton’s body, admiring how the muscles move and maybe also just so he can look at his ass. He doesn’t realize they’re in the water until it creeps up his thighs and it registers as _fucking freezing_.

“Ashton this is so, so _fucking_ cold,” Calum says, flinching as he submerges deeper.

Ashton is up to his neck now, ducking under and coming back up, shaking his hair out after.

“You’re right, but it’s better if you go under. Promise,” Ashton says, lifting a dripping little finger up to show he means it.

Calum sighs, dunking himself under and swimming the short distance towards Ashton before coming back up. He smiles and giggles when he shakes his hair out, because Ashton was right, it’s a lot better after going under.

“See? Isn’t this fun?” Ashton asks.

“Mmh. Yeah,” Calum responds.

Ashton pulls Calum closer by the hips. Calum goes, resting his arms on Ashton’s shoulders.

“Hey,” Calum says quietly.

“Hey yourself,” Ashton replies.

The moon shines so beautifully over the pair, so gracefully, so quietly. She shines in the emerald of Ashton’s eye and shimmers on the damp, dark skin of Calum. There’s the very faint sound of the freeway from a couple miles away, and the sound of distant laughter from the other campers, but right now, it’s just the two of them, just them and the moon, in complete silence. Their noses brush against each other, causing gentle smiles to erupt on their faces. Underwater, their legs tangle, their hips touch, skin against skin for miles and miles, head to toe. One of Ashton’s hands remain on Calum’s waist, the other migrated to holding his neck gently on the left side. Calum’s hands stay linked behind Ashton’s neck, occasionally toying with the little hairs there.

There’s something about the moon, Calum thinks, but doesn’t voice. There’s something about the way she can light up the night sky, the darkest of times, and yet not blind. She just sits there, lighting the way for the lonely traveler, or the young lovers, or the band who started from nowhere and is either on their way to playing their first gig outside of the basement or on their way home from a sold out stadium. She watches over the residents of earth and lights the way through darkness. She shines in through windows of little children wrapped up with a teddy, or of teenagers alone or with their first real lover, of adults who are giving themselves in the most intimate way. She shines in to those who look up to her in their darkest moments in the dead of the night, hoping and praying to a god they might not even believe in, that they will see her the next night, that they will survive one more day. The moon, Calum gathers, must be the most ethereal object in existence. She sees us at our highs and lows and comes back to see us every night.

“What’re you thinking about, bub?” Ashton asks, gently caressing Calum’s back under the water.

“The moon. She’s really something,” Calum replies.

Ashton smiles, rubbing his nose to Calum’s.

“Yeah, she is, isn’t she?”

Calum nods. He brushes his lips gently to Ashton’s for a second.

“Well hey,” Ashton says, smiling, against Calum’s lips.

“Hey. Kiss me?” Calum suggests. Ashton breathes out a little laugh and leans in, connecting their lips again.

It feels right, Calum thinks. Kissing the love of his life, the person that helped him realize again that love actually does exist, his partner, his friend, his other fucking _half_ ; it’s just…fallen into place. This is where he’s meant to be; with Ashton, in the water, in the intimacy of the moonlight, in the intimacy of their bond. He presses more against the older boy, wrapping his legs around him. He doesn’t really want to fuck, or even make love, he just wants-needs- the physical contact. He knows that Ashton knows this, and likely feels it too. Still, he’s relieved when Ashton doesn’t press for more, doesn’t grab harder at his ass or try to deepen the kiss. He’s so in love it kind of hurts a little. As wonderful as those thoughts are, he’s violently thrown out of them by a shiver. He didn’t realize how cold it actually was. Mournfully he breaks the kiss, but not pulling so far away as to separate their faces.

“I’m cold,” he whispers.

“You’re shivering, I could tell. Wanna head back?”

“No, but we probably should before I, like, die from hypothermia,” Calum says.

Ashton leaves a lingering kiss on Calum’s lips before pulling him with him back to the shore. Once there, he wraps Calum up in the blanket and pulls the other blanket on himself. He reaches out his hand for Calum to hold on their trip to the RV. He grabs in and jogs the little distance to catch up.

They get back to the RV and dry off quickly, slipping into hoodies and sweatpants again. The bundle into the soft blankets that rest on the bed and Calum worms his way into Ashton’s arms. He lays his head right over Ashton’s heart and listens to the steady beat.

“I think you’re the love of my life,” Calum blurts out in a whisper, illustrating his thoughts from the lake.

Ashton’s hand freezes from where it was tapping a beat on Calum’s side.

“Yeah?”

Calum nods gently, hesitantly.

“That’s good, because I know you’re mine,” Ashton replies. “-soulmates, and all that shit. Two halves of one whole idiot.”

Calum smiles against Ashton’s chest, kissing the fabric over his heart.

“You’re so stupid,” he jokes.

Ashton grins, adding “Stupid for you.”

Calum groans and buries his face into the soft fabric. He stays there, before popping up abruptly and startling Ashton.

“Babe, we forgot the wine,” he says seriously.

Ashton just breaks into giggles.

“Oh well. We can get them in the morning,” he replies.

Calum settles back against his chest, content in the position and the way Ashton has a warm hand gliding up and down the skin of his back. He leans up a bit, moving his body with him, and presses his lips to Ashton’s again. He stays there for a while, taking short moments to break for air before diving in again. Ashton’s hand moved further up his back, between his shoulder blades, and maneuvered Calum so he was a little more on top of him. Calum just keeps his lips pressed to Ashton, his eyes shut, and his hands in the fabric of Ashton’s hoodie.

“I love you,” Calum says against Ashton’s lips. “A lot.”

“I love you,” Ashton replies.

It may not seem much to the everyday eye, but love has always been something Calum struggled with. The last person he was with hurt him so bad that it made him believe that love didn’t even exist, but here we are. It took him so long to accept the fact that he was falling, and fell, for Ashton. Took him so long to let himself love again, and even longer to let others love him. There were so many nights when Ashton would tell him, but he couldn’t say it back, because love meant vulnerability and being vulnerable is what caused him so much pain and heartache in the past. Knowing that, Ashton helped him through it. He never once got exasperated at the fact that Calum couldn’t say it back, never once made fun of him for it, never once thought anything less of the boy because of it. He helped him through the pain, helped him through everything, helped him be okay with the concept of love and helped him feel it and accept it again. So yeah, Calum really loves Ashton, and he’s really fucking okay with it.

Calum feels his body temperature rising with the underlying want for more, but at the same time, he’s more than content just staying like this, kissing. He isn’t aching for it yet, and part of him hopes he won’t, because as great as sex is with Ash, and believe him it is _great_ , he just wants this. He just wants to be wrapped up in his boyfriend, under the moon, in the bed of a shitty RV they rented last minute to escape the world for a weekend. He just wants Ashton, and the moon, and maybe a glass of rum and coke, but mostly the first two. So he stays there, lips pressed on lips, and stays there for a while, until they’ve both gotten their nourishment of the other.

Ashton yawns when Calum pulls up and off, still lingering over him.

Calum smiles, leaning in for one last kiss.

“I’m tired too. Wanna sleep?” Calum says, nuzzling into Ashton’s neck.

“Yeah. I really do love you, y’know,” he replies.

“I know. I really do love you too. Thank you for helping me get there,” Calum says, pressing soft kisses to the skin of Ashton’s neck.

“Thank you for trusting me enough to,” and after a moment, “night, lover. Sleep well.”

“I will. G’night Ash,” Calum responds.

He lays awake for a bit after that, silently on Ashton’s side, listening to the steady breathing of the older man. He presses gentle kisses where he can reach. When he gets too warm, he shuffles off of Ashton as gently and quietly as he can, laying on his back, looking up through the sky roof. He looks at the moon and stars, trying to find any constellation, or any cool pattern to tell Ashton about the next morning. He ends up counting the stars to help him fall asleep. Finally, he drifts off in the embrace of the moon and the love of his life. He’s serene for the first time in so long, and he’s so glad he could get there with Ashton, too.


End file.
